Fourth of July parades bring Topeka neighborhoods to life

Tuesday

Jul 4, 2017 at 12:14 PM

Phil Anderson

When it came down to who was going to get candy that was tossed to the crowd during Tuesday morning’s Collins Park Fourth of July Parade, Ronni Blancas and Mackenzie Flood, both 11, put their friendship aside — at least for a few minutes.

The two pals grabbed, pushed, held and shoved each other — laughing all the way — in their efforts to pick up the suckers, bubble gum, mini candy bars, Tootsie rolls and gummy bears that were tossed from people who were walking or riding in vehicles along the parade route.

By the end of the 30-minute parade, both girls had filled their bags with enough candy to rival that of a good haul after trick-or-treating on a Halloween night.

So just what is the strategy when it comes to competing with other kids to get the most candy?

"You push your friends," Ronni said.

"You put your foot on the candy," Mackenzie countered.

Both girls came prepared with bags as they were ready to pounce on any piece of stray candy that skipped along the west side of the 1400 block of S.W. Collins, where they were holding forth.

They were hardly alone, as easily several hundred other youngsters lined up along the parade route in what is arguably Topeka’s largest Fourth of July neighborhood celebration.

There are a few tricks to the trade, Mackenzie allowed, speaking from experience.

"Sometimes, the candy will go behind people," she said. "So you have to sneak behind them and get it."

Those who wanted to get candy didn’t go home empty-handed from the parade, which featured everything from vintage cars to a marching band composed of neighborhood residents to dozens of children on bikes and trikes.

Even some dogs got in on the act, with their owners dressing them in red, white and blue ribbons, bows and tiny hats.

The parade started at 11 a.m. at S.W. 15th and Collins and proceeded north to S.W. Huntoon before winding back again on the opposite side of Collins.

Many people sat in lawn chairs in Collins Park, located in the middle of the two sides of the street.

Others watched from the front yards of homes along the parade route.

The skies were overcast, but many people could be heard remarking how glad they were for cooler weather, as temperatures late Tuesday morning were only in the upper 70s in Topeka.

Collins Park is far from the only Fourth of July parade in Topeka, as several other neighborhoods came together for similar — if somewhat smaller — efforts.

Among other annual neighborhood get-togethers was the Potwin Place parade, which started at 10 a.m. at S.W. 3rd and Greenwood.

The Topeka High School Drumline got things started with a brief performance, followed by the parade which meandered through the brick-lined streets of the historic Potwin neighborhood.

Potwin’s Forth of July celebration actually lasts for several days, and included a street dance on Monday night, with a large crowd attending.

"We had a great dance last night," said Potwin neighborhood resident Sarah Fizell, shortly before Tuesday’s parade got underway. "It was the youngest dance crowd I ever saw. It was crazy."

Fizell said the neighborhood as a whole has experienced a kind of rebirth in recent years — "an incredible renewal" — as many young families have moved into the area.

"It’s young people moving into really old houses," she said.

Adding to a great Fourth of July parade, she said, were all of the old, Victorian-style houses in Potwin, many of which were decked out with American flags and red, white and blue bunting.

"This is sort of traditional Americana at its best," Fizell said. "It’s the brick streets, the old cars and more kids than you can count. It’s really awesome."

About the same time of the Potwin parade, the College Hill neighborhood parade set sail from S.W. 13th and Boswell.

As usual, neighbors joined forces for a band that played patriotic music as it led the way on a long parade route that went east on S.W. 13th to S.W. College, then south on College to S.W. 15th before turning west to S.W. Jewell, and north on Jewell to S.W. 13th.

Susan Christensen, 30, held a sign promoting a College Hill recycling program as she marched in the parade.

"It’s one of my favorite traditions," Christensen said of the annual parade. "It’s like the one time of the year when everybody is out mingling with their neighbors. It’s just so much fun."

As was the case with other parades in Topeka, the College Hill effort included participants from a wide age range — from babies to older adults.

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